It can be a struggle to make breakfast before work, let alone prepare a filling and healthy one. Fast food is the perfect solution for rushed mornings, but no one wants to get a sodium-filled, high-carb breakfast that'll leave you bloated and low-energy for the rest of the morning. Fortunately, there are healthy fast food breakfast options out there for those who find themselves in this dilemma. Here are 10 of the healthiest fast food breakfasts to start your morning right.
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1. Panera Bread Avocado, Egg White & Spinach
Panera is prized as one of the healthier options when it comes to fast food restaurants, and its breakfast is no exception. This breakfast sandwich has more calories than some other options on this list, but it makes up for that with its fresh veggie content. This healthy breakfast meal consists of egg whites, aged white cheddar, fresh avocado, spinach, vine-ripened tomato, salt and pepper on a Sprouted Grain Bagel Flat. It contains 360 calories, 14 g fat, and 19 g protein. This is the perfect way to eat a healthy, filling breakfast when you're on the go!
2. Dunkin' Donuts Ham, Egg, And Cheese Wakeup Wrap
This Dunkin' classic has everything you need for a quick morning bite. Rather than going for the bagel sandwich or apple cider donut, opt for the healthy, protein-packed Wakeup Wrap. This contains an egg, cheese, and ham, but you can also get another protein like sausage, bacon, or turkey sausage. With under 200 calories, 15 g carbs, 600 mg sodium and 9 grams of protein, this one is hard to beat.
3. Taco Bell CHEESY TOASTED BREAKFAST BURRITO POTATO
You might be surprised to see Taco Bell on this list, as they're beloved for their cheesy, Tex-Mex meals. However, the Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito Potato is relatively healthy, at 340 calories. If this is still a bit high for your breakfast preferences, skip the potatoes to enjoy it at 295, and take out the cheese as well for 265 calories. You'll be consuming 10 grams of protein, more than enough to get you through until lunchtime.
4. Subway Egg White Sandwich
Subway is another fast food chain viewed as one of the healthier options out there, and this breakfast sandwich sticks with the theme of fast, convenient but healthy food. To order this sandwich, order the Egg & Cheese sandwich but swap egg whites for whole eggs and skip the cheese. Ask for your sandwich on an English muffin and add on spinach, tomatoes and avocado. This will provide vitamins A and C, 11 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber for only 180 calories! If you're worried that this won't be filling enough, add on some lean ham or turkey.
5. McDonald's Egg McMuffin with no butter
McDonald's is the king of fast food and the first to come up with fast food breakfast, so it only makes sense that they would be included. Along with the hashbrowns and bacon, egg and cheese biscuit, McDonald's breakfast includes some healthy options. The Egg McMuffin is a tasty breakfast choice, and if you order it without butter, it's under 300 calories. This will add up to 280 calories, 11 grams of fat (4.5 g saturated fat), 30 grams carbs, and a whole 17 grams of protein. An alternative option would be getting a side of scrambled eggs, an English muffin, and strawberry preserves for around 350 calories and much less sodium than the McMuffin.
6. Starbucks Spinach, Feta, and Egg White Wrap
If you stop by Starbucks for your morning coffee or, even better, a Pumpkin Spice Latte, try out this breakfast wrap for a filling and healthy breakfast. The Spinach, Feta and Egg White Wrap has 290 calories, 34 g carbs, and 20 g protein. Plus, the whole-grain wrap gives you almost half your recommended vitamin A, along with about 25% of your calcium for the day. The only downside is its 830 mg sodium, so make sure to eat low-sodium meals for lunch and dinner.
7. Chick-Fil-A Egg White Grill
Chick-fil-A's Egg White Grill is an excellent option for a high protein breakfast item. Along with egg whites, it includes chicken, American cheese, and a toasted multigrain English muffin. This sandwich adds up to 290 calories and 26 grams of protein! The only downside is its high sodium, 980 mg, so make sure to watch you sodium after eating it. If you're looking for a healthy breakfast without eggs, go for the Greek Yogurt Parfait.
8. Jamba Juice Orange-C Booster
For an egg-free healthy fast food breakfast, Jamba Juice has your back. A glass of orange juice is a classic breakfast drink, so why not take it a step further with an orange smoothie? This nutritional menu item contains orange juice, orange sherbet, peaches, bananas and daily vitamin + zinc boost This adds up to 310 calories and provides an amazing amount of vitamins A and C. For extra protein, get an extra Whey Protein Superboost.
9. Burger King Bacon, Egg & Cheese Croissan'Wich
The Burger King drive-thru is a natural place to go on a rushed or lazy morning. However, your calorie goals for the day don't need to go out the window just because you didn't have time to make breakfast. The Bacon, Egg & Cheese Croissan'Wich is made with smoked bacon, eggs, and melted cheese on a toasted croissant. This adds up to 335 calories, and it also provides 12.5 g protein to keep you full until your next snack. You can order this breakfast option with no cheese to get it down to 270 calories, or order it with no croissant to enjoy it super low-calorie, with only 160 calories.
10. Au Bon Pain Greek Vanilla Yogurt & Strawberry Parfait
To switch it up from egg and cheese sandwiches, Au Bon Pain has delicious breakfast options, from the overnight oats to the oatmeal to the parfaits. The strawberry parfait is the lowest-calorie of Au Bon Pain's parfaits, and it's full of healthy ingredients like rolled oats, strawberries, pumpkin seeds and cranberries. This tasty fruit parfait has 330 calories, with 6 grams of filling fiber to start the day full of energy.
